Different types of electrical appliances, such as radio and stereo units, are usually interconnected by means of power cords or connecting cables, each fitted at the ends with a connecting component or components, such as plug-type connectors which are individually assigned to the electrical appliances concerned. Such connectors vary considerably from appliance to appliance, especially between older and newer appliances. This makes it difficult, especially in the case of multiple-way plug connections, to assign individual connecting cables or leads to the different connectors used with different electrical appliances (especially newly-introduced appliances) and to provide them with suitable types of interconnections Lack of functional clarity in this respect often leads to faulty coupling and connections.
Various standard plug-type connectors have been developed worldwide over the years, like the DIN standard multipole plug, the jack plug, the loudspeaker plug, the cynch plug, among others. For the interconnecting of electrical appliances fitted with these types of plugs or connector sockets, the appropriate interconnecting cables with corresponding terminals are required. This presents no problem so long as the appliances are fitted with the same standard connectors. In practice, however, this can never be guaranteed. But if the electrical appliances to be interconnected are equipped with different types of connectors, the interconnecting cables have previously been required to be fitted with connectors having terminals corresponding with those of the respective types being used. This has led to a bewildering profusion of differently-fitted interconnecting cables. Suppliers of these interconnecting cables must invest a considerable amount if they are to meet all consumer requirements. Moreover, extensive warehousing is necessary. Furthermore, batch quantities of particular types of cables are comparatively low, so that these interconnecting cables are correspondingly expensive. Apart from this, it is no easy matter for the individual consumer to obtain the appropriate interconnecting cables, since he has to acquaint himself with the wide variety of different models in use.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a universal interconnection system wherein functional clarity in regard to the layout of connectors and terminals is achieved with the use of a small number of different types of cables suitable for numerous electrical appliances, and wherein the required components are of simple design and are easy to manufacture and assemble.